Volume Mixing Ratio Research Articles

Trends in atmospheric HFC-23 (CHF3) and HFC-134a abundances

The Montreal Protocol banned the production of major ozone depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to protect the Earth’s ozone layer. The resulting increased production and emissions of CFC-replacement hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) has caused a dramatic increase in their atmospheric abundances. Although these HFCs do not contribute directly to the depletion of the ozone layer because they contain no chlorine, they are powerful greenhouse gases with large global warming potentials. In January 2019, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol came into force to phase out long-lived HFCs. The two most abundant HFCs in the atmosphere, HFC-134a (CF3CH2F) and HFC-23 (CHF3), are measured from orbit by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). These measurements will be useful for monitoring the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Analysis of the ACE-FTS measurements provides near-global distributions and confirms the rapid increase in HFC-134a (4.9 ± 0.1 ppt per year) and HFC-23 (0.75 ± 0.02 ppt per year) volume mixing ratios (VMRs).

Low altitude CO2 from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite

The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) has been measuring atmospheric composition by solar occultation from low Earth orbit since 2004. A new version (4.0) of ACE-FTS processing has added low altitude CO2 as a routine data product. ACE provides a near global data set of altitude profiles of CO2 volume mixing ratios (VMRs) on a 1 km grid from 5 to 18 km. We provide an initial evaluation of these data using occultations from the month of May for 2004–2017 in the 55°–70°S latitude range. Comparisons are made with ground-based measurements at Macquarie Island, the South Pole, the CarbonTracker 2017 model and G. Toon's empirical model. Agreement for trends is good, but ACE-FTS VMRs have a low bias at 5.5 and 6.5 km in altitude.

Observed response of stratospheric and mesospheric composition to sudden stratospheric warmings

In this study we investigate and quantify the statistical changes that occur in the stratosphere and mesosphere during 37 sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events from 1989 to 2016. We consider changes in the in-situ ozonesonde observations of the stratosphere from four sites in the northern hemisphere (Ny-Ålesund, Sodankylä, Lerwick, and Boulder). These data are supported by Aura/MLS satellite observations of the ozone volumetric mixing ratio above each site, and also ground-based total-column O3 and NO2, and mesospheric wind measurements, measured at the Sodankylä site. Due to the long-time periods under consideration (weeks/months) we evaluate the observations explicitly in relation to the annual mean of each data set. Following the onset of SSWs we observe an increase in temperature above the mean (for sites usually within the polar vortex) that persists for >∼40 days. During this time the stratospheric and mesospheric ozone (volume mixing ratio and partial pressure) increases by ∼20% as observed by both ozonesonde and satellite instrumentation. Ground-based observations from Sodankylä demonstrate the total column NO2 does not change significantly during SSWs, remaining close to the annual mean. The zonal wind direction in the mesosphere at Sodankylä shows a clear reversal close to SSW onset. Our results have broad implications for understanding the statistical variability of atmospheric changes occurring due to SSWs and provides quantification of such changes for comparison with modelling studies.

Variations of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere of Antarctica according to ground-based and satellite measurements

The results of systematic (2003–2017) measurements of the total content and the volume mixing ratio of CO at Novolazarevskaya station with a spectrometer with a resolution of 0.2 cm– 1 are presented. The inverse problem of determining the total CO content, as well as interfering gases (H2O and N2O), was solved using the SFIT4 software package. Data analysis showed that over the measurement period the average total CO content at Novolazarevskaya amounted to (8 ± 2) 1017 molec/cm2, and the average volume mixing ratio amounted to (37 ± 8) ppb. The obtained data are compared with variations in the total content of CO in Arrival-Heights station, with MOPITT satellite data, as well as with surface values of CO concentration at Syova station. The maximum values of CO are observed in September, the minimum — in January–February. For all the considered series, the trends are insignificant, while there are periods of increased CO content (2010). In recent years (2014–2017) there is a tendency towards an increase in the minimum values of CO. For Novolazarevskaya and Arrival-Heights satellite data are characterized by the excess of over ground data, amounting to 19% and 14%, respectively, while there is a seasonal dependence of the deviation with the minimum in December–January. Surface measurements of the total CO content are in fairly good agreement at Novolazarevskaya and Arrival-Heights, and since 2010 the average deviation is 2.4%. The average value of the concentration of CO on Syova 51 ppb is higher than the average volume mixing ratio at Novolazarevskaya. According to the spectral, wavelet and composite analyzes, in all the considered series there are oscillations in the range of 6–45 months with closely coinciding periods and phases.

Retrieval and characterization of carbon monoxide (CO) vertical profiles in the Martian atmosphere from observations of PFS/MEX

The knowledge of the carbon monoxide (CO) abundance on Mars is essential in order to assess the processes driving the carbon cycle on the planet. Solar occultation measurements provide vertically-resolved measurements of CO from a few kilometers to higher altitudes and can be complemented by nadir measurements to enhance the spatial coverage of observations and the monitoring of the near-surface layer. Up to now, in the shortwave, CO retrievals from nadir observations have, however, mostly been performed on mean spectra and only total column abundances have been obtained. In this work we explore the possibility of exploiting nadir measurements from the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) in the 1–0 band of CO (centered at 2143 cm−1) to retrieve vertical profiles of that species on individual measurement. The retrievals are performed for a set of 16 selected PFS spectra with reasonable signal-to-noise ratios by applying the Optimal Estimation Method (OEM) with appropriate constraints, built from model simulations of the Martian atmosphere. The retrieved profiles are characterized in terms of vertical sensitivity and errors. We demonstrate, in particular, that the PFS nadir measurements carry information mostly on the CO column below 15 km, with a maximum sensitivity to the near-surface atmosphere. These measurements allow to substantially reduce the prior uncertainty on the CO abundance in this altitude range, with an estimated total retrieval error on the column-averaged volume mixing ratio (VMR) around 10%. We show that the set of retrieved VMRs are in the range of values reported from other instruments. The retrieved VMRs also capture well the known spatial and seasonal CO variability, which is promising in the perspective of better exploiting the exceptional set of PFS observations on Mars.

Seasonal, interannual and SSW related variations of middle atmospheric N2O and NOx over low latitudes

The volume mixing ratios (VMRs) of Nitrous Oxide (N2O) and NOx [Nitric Oxide (NO) + Nitrogen-di-Oxide (NO2)] derived from the radiance measured by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) Fourier infrared spectrometer, for the period 2007–2011 have been used to study their seasonal, interannual as well as Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) related variations in the equatorial (5°N-5°S) stratosphere. Both N2O and NOx VMR show a clear seasonal variation around 45 km. The N2O VMR exhibits minimum (around 200 ppbv) during July–August and remains at 250–300 ppbv during the rest of the months. The NOx VMR is found to be minimum (around 10 ppbv) during May–July, whereas it shows higher values (∼15–17 ppbv) in the other months. Higher values are found in N2O and NOx VMRs in the years 2008 and 2010 in the northern tropics (10–30°N) when the QBO is in westward phase favouring high residual meridional circulation. During the SSW of 2009, NOx VMR is found to increase by 3 ppbv. Using a primitive chemistry-transport model, the increase in NOx during the SSW is demonstrated to be due to the enhanced vertical upwelling as well as meridional circulation prior to the onset of the SSW in response to the larger planetary wave activity.

Climatology of CH4, HCN and C2H2 in Titan's upper atmosphere from Cassini/VIMS observations

The Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) measurements of non-Local Thermodinamic Equilibrium (non-LTE) emissions of CH4, HCN and C2H2 in the near-infrared represent a dataset with unique coverage to study Titan's upper atmosphere in the altitude range from 500 to 1000 km. This region is the key to a better understanding of the middle atmosphere circulation. The assessment of the latitudinal and seasonal variations in the distributions of HCN and C2H2 could give important hints about it and complement the Composite InfraRed Spectrometer (CIRS) observations, that target the atmosphere below 500 km. The measurement of CH4 and HCN above 900 km can also help in understanding the Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) observations near and above 1000 km. We have analysed the VIMS daytime spectra in the 2.9–3.4 μm region measured from 2004 to 2012 that span from the mid-northern winter through mid-northern spring Titan seasons. The measurements exhibit very strong non-LTE emissions of CH4, HCN and C2H2. Non-LTE vibrational temperatures have been calculated for the emitting levels of the three molecules, and have been used in the inversion of their abundances in the 500–1100 km region. The retrieved abundances have been averaged in latitudinal bins and in two seasons: north hemisphere winter (2004–2009) and north hemisphere early spring (2010−2012). The C2H2 average profile, retrieved for the first time from VIMS measurements, shows good agreement with UltraViolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) measurements below 850 km, while higher values are found above that altitude. The HCN volume mixing ratio (VMR) shows an enhancement at the north pole during winter at all altitudes (from ∼700 km up to near 1000 km) and at the north and south poles during spring below 900 km. Also, the average C2H2 abundance is larger at both poles during spring below 800 km, while no significant variation is seen during winter. For CH4 we found enhancements above 800 km at the north pole during winter and at both poles during spring. Our results suggest that the middle atmosphere circulation on Titan extends well above the 500 km level, up to 750–800 km or even higher if we assume that the CH4 concentration above 800 km is mainly controlled by the circulation. The behavior of CH4 at the winter pole above 800 km is in line with the strong zonal winds suggested to explain INMS observations, although it can also be explained by the slower photo-dissociation occurring during polar winter. Despite the poor statistic at the polar regions, our results represent a unique dataset that could help to improve our understanding of Titan's atmosphere above 500 km.

Measurement of CH3D on Titan at Submillimeter Wavelengths

Abstract We present the first radio/submillimeter detection of monodeuterated methane (CH3D) in Titan’s atmosphere, using archival data from of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The J K = 21−11 and J K = 20−10 transitions at 465.235 and 465.250 GHz (∼0.644 mm) were measured at significance levels of 4.6σ and 5.7σ, respectively. These two lines were modeled using the Non-linear optimal Estimator for MultivariatE spectral analySIS (NEMESIS) radiative transfer code to determine the disk-averaged CH3D volume mixing ratio = 6.157 × 10−6 in Titan’s stratosphere (at altitudes >130 km). By comparison with the CH4 vertical abundance profile measured by Cassini–Huygens mass spectrometry, the resulting value for D/H in CH4 is (1.033 ± 0.081) × 10−4. This is consistent with previous ground-based and in situ measurements from the Cassini–Huygens mission, though slightly lower than the average of the previous values. Additional CH3D observations at higher spatial resolution will be required to determine a value truly comparable with the Cassini–Huygens CH4 measurements, by measuring CH3D with ALMA close to Titan’s equator. In the post-Cassini era, spatially resolved observations of CH3D with ALMA will enable the latitudinal distribution of methane to be determined, making this an important molecule for further studies.

Tangent height determination from the N2-continuum for the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer

With inadequate information from sensors onboard the SCISAT satellite to generate accurate pointing information, tangent heights for the solar occultation measurements collected by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) are determined from features in the measured spectra. For version 4.0 processing of the ACE-FTS data, tangent heights below 18 km are generated from the N2 collision induced absorption continuum near 2500 cm−1. Because this tangent height determination requires no assumptions on CO2 concentrations in this altitude region (unlike previous processing versions), ACE-FTS version 4.0 includes retrieved CO2 volume mixing ratio profiles below 18 km as a standard product.

H3+ characteristics in the Jupiter atmosphere as observed at limb with Juno/JIRAM

NASA's Juno spacecraft has been orbiting Jupiter since August 2016, providing unprecedented insights into the giant planet's atmosphere. The Jupiter Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) experiment on board Juno has made spectroscopic observations of the trihydrogen cation (H3+) emissions in both northern and southern auroral regions (Dinelli et al., 2017; Adriani et al., 2017; Mura et al., 2017) and at mid-to-low latitudes (this paper). Observations targeting the limb of the planet from 60° North to 60° South latitudes were acquired with JIRAM's spectrometer in August 2016 and March 2017. We use these observations to characterize, for the first time, the vertical distribution of the H3+ emissions as a function of latitude across Jupiter's dayside. H3+ emission features in the 3–4 μm spectral band were used to retrieve the H3+ volume mixing ratio (VMR) and atmospheric temperatures as a function of altitude. The H3+ density profile has a quasi-symmetric distribution with latitude, decreasing from 5 × 104 cm−3 at 300 km to 2 × 103 cm−3 at 650 km altitude above the 1-bar level (column densities of 3.5 × 1012 cm−2 to 1.4 × 1011 cm−2, assuming a 700 km column depth). The H3+ VMR is higher in the Southern hemisphere than in the North with values at 500 km of ~4 × 10−4 ppmv at 40°N and ~8 × 10−4 ppmv at 40°S. Retrieved temperatures increase almost monotonically with increasing altitude, hovering around 400 K at 300 km and >900 K at about 700 km.

Heat transfer performance of pulsating heat pipe with zeotropic immiscible binary mixtures

Working fluid is an important influencing factor for the heat transfer performance of a pulsating heat pipe (PHP). In this study, zeotropic immiscible working fluid was proposed based on the difficult start and easy dry-out with large heat flux of PHP. Deionized water mixed with HFE-7100 was used as the working fluid. The volume mixing ratios used were 4:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4, and the heating power ranged from 20 W to 250 W with inclination angles of 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°. The filling ratio was 50%. Result shows that at a high heating power (210 W, 250 W), the PHP with mixtures could quickly start and achieve a stable one-way pulsation cycle with low thermal resistance. Meanwhile, the dry-out phenomenon of the working fluid with high boiling point had been inhibited because of the working fluid with low boiling point and high saturation vapor pressure, thereby raising the heat transfer limit of the PHP. During operation, the two working fluids were pulped and stirred to form an emulsion, which promoted the heat transfer between them. When the mixing ratio was 1:1, the two working fluids could be uniformly mixed, the contact surface between them was large, and the heat transfer property performed well. The lowest thermal resistance achieved with mixing ratio of 1:2 was 0.1634 °C/W due to some of the HFE-7100 would exist in gaseous form when the heating power was high (250 W, with an inclination angle of 90°).

HDO and SO2 thermal mapping on Venus

Since January 2012 we have been monitoring the behavior of sulfur dioxide and water on Venus, using the Texas Echelon Cross-Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) imaging spectrometer at the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF, Mauna Kea Observatory). We present here the observations obtained between January 2016 and September 2018. As in the case of our previous runs, data were recorded around 1345 cm−1 (7.4 μm). The molecules SO2, CO2, and HDO (used as a proxy for H2O) were observed, and the cloudtop of Venus was probed at an altitude of about 64 km. The volume mixing ratio of SO2 was estimated using the SO2/CO2 line depth ratios of weak transitions; the H2O volume mixing ratio was derived from the HDO/CO2 line depth ratio, assuming a D/H ratio of 200 times the Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW). As reported in our previous analyses, the SO2 mixing ratio shows strong variations with time and also over the disk, showing evidence of the formation of SO2 plumes with a lifetime of a few hours; in contrast, the H2O abundance is remarkably uniform over the disk and shows moderate variations as a function of time. We performed a statistical analysis of the behavior of the SO2 plumes, using all TEXES data between 2012 and 2018. They appear mostly located around the equator. Their distribution as a function of local time seems to show a depletion around noon; we do not have enough data to confirm this feature definitely. The distribution of SO2 plumes as a function of longitude shows no clear feature, apart from a possible depletion around 100E–150E and around 300E–360E. There seems to be a tendency for the H2O volume mixing ratio to decrease after 2016, and for the SO2 mixing ratio to increase after 2014. However, we see no clear anti-correlation between the SO2 and H2O abundances at the cloudtop, neither on the individual maps nor over the long term. Finally, there is a good agreement between the TEXES results and those obtained in the UV range (SPICAV/Venus Express and UVI/Akatsuki) at a slightly higher altitude. This agreement shows that SO2 observations obtained in the thermal infrared can be used to extend the local time coverage of the SO2 measurements obtained in the UV range.

A shape model of internally mixed soot particles derived from artificial surface tension

Abstract. To retrieve the physical properties of aerosols from multi-channel ground-based and satellite measurements, we developed a shape model of coated soot particles and created a dataset of their optical properties. Bare soot particles were assumed to have an aggregate shape, and two types of aggregates with different size–shape dependences were modeled using a polyhedral Voronoi structure. To simulate the detailed shape properties of mixtures of soot aggregates and adhered water-soluble substances, we propose a simple model of surface tension derived from the artificial surface potential. The light-scattering properties of the modeled particles with different volume fractions of water-soluble material were calculated using the finite-difference time-domain method and discrete-dipole approximation. The results of the single-scattering albedo and asymmetry factors were compared to those of conventional internally mixed spheres (i.e., effective medium spheres based on the Maxwell-Garnett approximation and simple core-shell spheres). In addition, the lidar backscattering properties (i.e., lidar ratios and linear depolarization ratios) of the modeled soot particles were investigated. For internally mixed soot particles, the lidar backscattering properties were sensitive to the shape of the soot particles and the volume mixing ratio of the assumed water-soluble components. However, the average optical properties of biomass smoke, which have been reported from in situ field and laboratory measurements, were difficult to explain based on the individually modeled particle. Nonetheless, our shape model and its calculated optical properties are expected to be useful as an alternative model for biomass smoke particles in advanced remote sensing via multi-channel radiometer and lidar measurements.

Quasi-Biennial Oscillations in Atmospheric Ozone from the Chemistry-Climate Model and Ozone Reanalysis

The quasi-biennial oscillation is the primary mode of variability of the equatorial mean zonal wind in the lower stratosphere, which is characterized by downward propagating easterly and westerly wind regimes from 10 hPa level with a period approximately 28 months. The effects of the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation in zonal winds (SQBO) are not only confined to atmospheric dynamics but also seen in the chemical constituent (trace gases) anomalies such as ozone, water vapor, carbon monoxide and methane in the lower stratosphere. In this study, we examined the SQBO and associated ozone quasi-biennial oscillation (OQBO) using the chemistry-climate model CHASER (MIROC-ESM) simulations and ECMWF ERA-Interim ozone reanalysis for the period 2000-2015. We used lower stratospheric zonal wind from the radiosonde observations and total column ozone (TCO) from Aura Satellite (OMI Instruments) over Singapore to compare the SQBO and OQBO phases with model and reanalysis. The SQBO shows large variations in magnitude and periodicity during the period of study and the amplitude of OQBO also changes in accordance with the westerly (+ve ozone anomaly) and easterly (-ve ozone anomaly) phases of SQBO. During the Westerly phase of Ozone QBO (WQBO) corresponds to average positive total ozone anomaly of ~10 DU and in the Easterly phase of Ozone QBO (EQBO) corresponds to an average negative total ozone anomaly ~−10 DU in the tropical lower stratosphere. Since the SQBO phases were explained by the vertical propagations of Mixed-Ross by Gravity (MRG) waves and Kelvin waves, the correlation of ozone volume mixing ratio with zonal and vertical velocities gives quasi-biennial signals, which indicate the OQBO mechanism more related to dynamical transport than the stratospheric photochemical variations. Since the average amplitude of OQBO phases gives ~+/− 10 DU from the observations during easterly and westerly phases SQBO, we need more research focused on the dynamical transport than the photochemical changes to understand the tropical ozone variability due to the ozone quasi-biennial oscillations.

Mars submillimeter sensor on microsatellite: sensor feasibility study

Abstract. We present a feasibility study for a submillimeter instrument on a small Mars platform now under construction. The sensor will measure the emission from atmospheric molecular oxygen, water, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide in order to retrieve their volume mixing ratios and the changes therein over time. In addition to these, the instrument will be able to limit the crustal magnetic field, and retrieve temperature and wind speed with various degrees of precision and resolution. The expected measurement precision before spatial and temporal averaging is 15 to 25 ppmv for the molecular oxygen mixing ratio, 0.2 ppmv for the gaseous water mixing ratio, 2 ppbv for the hydrogen peroxide mixing ratio, 2 ppbv for the ozone mixing ratio, 1.5 to 2.5 µT for the magnetic field strength, 1.5 to 2.5 K for the temperature profile, and 20 to 25 m s−1 for the horizontal wind speed.

Coupling between Land⁻Ocean⁻Atmosphere and Pronounced Changes in Atmospheric/Meteorological Parameters Associated with the Hudhud Cyclone of October 2014.

India is vulnerable to all kinds of natural hazards associated with land, ocean, biosphere, atmosphere, and snow/glaciers. These natural hazards impact large areas and the population living in the affected regions. India is surrounded by ocean on three sides and is vulnerable to cyclonic activities. Every year cyclones hit the east and west coasts of India, affecting the population living along the coasts and infrastructure and inland areas. The extent of the affected inland areas depends on the intensity of the cyclone. On 12 October 2014, a strong cyclone “Hudhud” hit the east coast of India that caused a high degree of devastation along the coast. The impact of this cyclone was seen up to the Himalayan region. Detailed analysis of satellite and ground data show a strong coupling between land-ocean-atmosphere associated with the Hudhud cyclone. The contrast between land and ocean temperature was found to be closely related with the formation of the cyclone in the ocean and its movements towards land. Pronounced changes in the ocean, land, atmospheric, and meteorological parameters with the development of the cyclone and its landfall have been observed. Changes in total column ozone (TCO), relative humidity (RH), and volume mixing ratio of CO (CO VMR), water mixing ratio (H2O MMR), surface latent heat flux (SLHF), and aerosol optical properties derived from satellite data show characteristic behavior of the Hudhud cyclone.

Jupiter’s ammonia distribution derived from VLA maps at 3–37 GHz

We observed Jupiter four times over a full rotation (10 h) with the upgraded Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) between December 2013 and December 2014. Preliminary results at 4–17 GHz were presented in de Pater et al. (2016); in the present paper we present the full data set at frequencies between 3 and 37 GHz. Major findings are:i) The radio-hot belt at 8.5–11° N latitude, near the interface between the North Equatorial Belt (NEB) and the Equatorial Zone (EZ) is prominent at all frequencies (3–37 GHz). Its location coincides with the southern latitudes of the NEB (7–17° N).ii) Longitude-smeared maps reveal belts and zones at all frequencies at latitudes ≲ |20°|. At higher latitudes numerous fainter bands are visible at frequencies ≳ 7 GHz. The lowest brightness temperature is in the EZ near a latitude of 4° N, and the NEB has the highest brightness temperature near 11° N. The bright part of the NEB increases in latitudinal extent (spreads towards the north) with deceasing frequency, i.e., with depth into the atmosphere. In longitude-resolved maps, several belts, in particular in the southern hemisphere, are not continuous along the latitude line, but broken into small segments as if caused by an underlying wave.iii) Model fits to longitude-smeared spectra are obtained at each latitude. These show a high NH3 abundance (volume mixing ratio ∼4×10−4) in the deep (P > 8–10 bar) atmosphere, decreasing at higher altitudes due to cloud formation (e.g., in zones), or dynamics in combination with cloud condensation (belts). In the NEB ammonia gas is depleted down to at least the 20 bar level with an abundance of 1.75×10−4. The NH3 abundance at latitudes > |50|° is characterized by a relatively low value (∼1.75×10−4) between ∼ 1 and 10 bar.iv) Using the entire VLA dataset, we confirm that the planet is extremely dynamic in the upper layers of the atmosphere, at P < 2–3 bar, i.e., at the altitudes where clouds form. At most latitudes the relative humidity within and above the NH3 cloud is considerably sub-saturated.v) The radiative transfer models that best fit the longitude-smeared VLA data at 4–25 GHz match the Juno PeriJove 1 microwave data extremely well, i.e., the NH3 abundance is high in the deep atmosphere, and either remains constant or decreases with altitude.vi) Hot spots have a very low, sub-saturated NH3 abundance at the altitudes of the NH3-ice cloud, gradually increasing from an abundance of ∼10−5 at 0.6 bar to the deep atmosphere value (∼4×10−4) at 8 bar.vii) We previously showed the presence of large ammonia plumes, which together with the 5-µm hot spots constitute the equatorially trapped Rossby wave. Observations of these plumes at 12–25 GHz reveal them to be supersaturated at ∼ 0.8–0.5 bar, which implies plumes rise ∼ 10 km above the main clouddeck. Numerous small ammonia plumes are detected at other locations (e.g., at 19° S and interspersed with hot spots).viii) The Great Red Spot (GRS) and Oval BA show relatively low NH3 abundances throughout the troposphere (∼ 1.5–1.8 × 10−4), and the GRS is considerably sub-saturated at higher altitudes.

Photochemical Oxygen in Non-1-bar CO2 Atmospheres of Terrestrial Exoplanets

Abstract Atmospheric chemistry models have shown that molecular oxygen can build up in CO2-dominated atmospheres on potentially habitable exoplanets without input of life. Existing models typically assume a surface pressure of 1 bar. Here we present model scenarios of CO2-dominated atmospheres with the surface pressure ranging from 0.1 to 10 bars, while keeping the surface temperature at 288 K. We use a one-dimensional photochemistry model to calculate the abundance of O2 and other key species, for outgassing rates ranging from a Venus-like volcanic activity up to 20 times Earth-like activity. The model maintains the redox balance of the atmosphere and the ocean, and includes the pressure dependency of outgassing on the surface pressure. Our calculations show that the surface pressure is a controlling parameter in the photochemical stability and oxygen buildup of CO2-dominated atmospheres. The mixing ratio of O2 monotonically decreases as the surface pressure increases at very high outgassing rates, whereas it increases as the surface pressure increases at lower-than-Earth outgassing rates. Abiotic O2 can only build up to the detectable level, defined as 10−3 in volume mixing ratio, in 10-bar atmospheres with the Venus-like volcanic activity rate and the reduced outgassing rate of H2 due to the high surface pressure. Our results support the search for biological activities and habitability via atmospheric O2 on terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of Sun-like stars.

Discovery of cloud top ozone on Venus

After the first sporadic detections of an ozone (O3) nighttime layer in the 90–100 km altitude range (Montmessin et al., 2011), we report here the discovery of another, permanent ozone layer on Venus, restricted to high latitudes (polewards of 50° both N and S) and located at the upper cloud level near 70 km. This detection was performed during a reanalysis of the whole SPICAV-UV nadir dataset through UV absorption near 250 nm in the backscattered solar light. The O3 volume mixing ratio peaks in the 10–20 ppbv range, yielding observable column densities in the 0.1–0.5 Dobson units (DU), comparable to nominal values on Mars but much smaller than for Earth ( ∼ 300 DU). These measurements are supported by our 3D-photochemical model coupled with the LMD-IPSL GCM (Lebonnois et al., 2010), which indicates that the ozone layer identified by SPICAV results from downward transport of O2 ( ∼ 50 ppmv) molecules over the poles by the mean meridional circulation. Our findings do not contradict previous upper limits ( < 2 ppmv) based on O2 measurements (Mills, 1999), since they were restricted to lower latitudes only.

Annual and diurnal water vapor cycles at Curiosity from observations and column modeling

Local column precipitable water contents (PWC) for more than a martian year from 113 Curiosity ChemCam passive-mode sky scans were used to force a column model with subsurface adsorption. ChemCam volume mixing ratios (vmr) and T, RH and vmr from REMS-H were compared with model results. The REMS-H observations point to decrease of vmr (i.e. depletion of near-surface water vapor) during every evening and night throughout the year. The model's pre-dawn results are quite similar to the REMS-H observations, if adsorption is allowed. The indicated porosity is about 30% and the night depletion ratio about 0.25. If adsorption is not allowed, RH and vmr become excessive during every night at all seasons, leading to ground frost between Ls 82°–146°; frost has not been observed. As brine formation is unlikely along the Curiosity track, adsorption thus appears to be the depleting process.During daytime the ChemCam vmr is in general close to surface values from the Mars Climate Database (MCD) vmr profiles for the Curiosity site when those profiles are scaled to match the ChemCam PWC. Our simulated daytime surface-vmr is in turn close to the ChemCam vmr when moisture is assumed well-mixed to high altitudes, whereas a low moist layer (15 km) leads to overestimates, which are worse during the warm season. Increased TES-like regional PWC also leads to large overestimates of daytime surface-vmr. Hence the crater appears to be drier than the region surrounding Gale and the results support a seasonally varying vertical distribution of moisture with a dry lower atmosphere (by Hadley circulation), as suggested by MCD and other GCM experiments.